April

2022

Employment: the 10 most attractive metropolises

Would you like some help with your job search?
Contact our recruitment experts!

Proximity to main roads or railways, presence of students, quality of life... not all metropolises are equal in terms of attractiveness. Among the many criteria, economic dynamism and the diversity of job offers represent objective criteria for settling in a metropolis.

Alphea Conseil brings you the Top 10 cities that are not experiencing the crisis.

Gold medal: Lille

Silver medal: Strasbourg

Bronze medal: Nantes

In 4th place: Rennes

In 5th place: Bordeaux

In 6th place: Montpellier

In 7th place: Lyon

In 8th place: Toulouse

In 9th place: Tours

In 10th place: Brest

Gold medal: Lille

With over a million inhabitants, Lille represents a major economic hub in the country. France's third-largest business district, the capital of Flanders lies at the center of a very large urban area and a highly-developed transport network .

Many international headquarters, including Auchan, but also Carrefour or Décathlon, have established themselves here. What's more, the Euralille 3000 project aims to boost the metropolis' appeal for businesses and job seekers. No less than 7,500 job vacancies are expected to be filled by 2035. And it starts today!

Go to Lille, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

Logistics
Transportation
Distribution
From trade,
Engineering
R&D

Silver Medal: Strasbourg

Just two hours by train from Paris, and on the border with Germany and Switzerland, Strasbourg has more than one argument to seduce jobseekers and companies alike. The main headquarters of European and international institutions have decided to locate here.

This has resulted in a clear development of tertiary economic clusters, through financial, but also legal activities. What's more, a number of consulting businesses have established themselves here. And the tide is not about to turn, or even slow down. Proof of this, among other things, is the creation of the international business district, which covers several thousand square kilometers of office space, dedicated to the support activities of European institutions.

Go to Strasbourg, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

From BTP
From IT and tech
From agribusiness
From banking, finance or insurance

Bronze medal: Nantes

For several years now, Nantes has been one of France's most popular cities. An attractiveness based on very objective criteria, such as the creation of 66,000 private sector jobs, but also a strategic location, at the crossroads of three regions. The presence of 50,000 companies and the great diversity of training courses will eventually convince even the most reluctant to settle in the cité des Ducs.

Thus, 8,000 people settle in Nantes every year. A demographic explosion relayed by the development of new urban development projects, such as the commissioning of three new tramway lines by 2026, as well as a significant improvement in access to the train station. A necessity when you consider that by 2030, 25 million travelers will be expected in Nantes every year.

Go to Nantes, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

From logistics, commerce or transport
From construction
Information Technology and Telecommunications
From industry and metallurgy
From hotels and restaurants

They're hot on the heels of the best....

In 4th place: Rennes

Now only 1? hours from Paris by train since the opening of the LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire line, Rennes has many advantages in terms of employment. With 70,000 students (i.e. 1 quarter of its population), the Brittany capital boasts a major university hub, and many of the courses offered enjoy an excellent reputation, particularly in business.

The project Eurorenneswill bring a new dynamism to the city. The new business district will house 125,000 m2 of office space, and will also be a major provider of jobs. The economic and social spin-offs will therefore be more than positive over the coming years.

Come to Rennes, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

From the hotel and catering industry
From computer engineering
From logistics and transport

In 5th place: Bordeaux

Since 2013, Bordeaux has been voted the ideal city where French people want to live and work. It has to be said that the assets of the Girondine capital are numerous.

Starting with an excellent quality of life, just 45 minutes from the Atlantic beaches. Proximity to Paris, just 2 hours 20 minutes from Bordeaux by TGV, is now a further advantage of choosing to live in this UNESCO World Heritage city.

In 2030, theproject Euratlantiqueis expected to generate at least 30,000 jobs. This is the biggest development project in France, designed to accommodate all the tertiary activities in the Bordeaux region. But let's also mention the projectBordeaux Aéroparc, dedicated to the development of Mérignac airport, provider of nearly 35,000 jobs by 2032.

This more than favorable economic climate makes Bordeaux ever more attractive... and for a long time to come!

Move to Bordeaux, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

Digital and services
Logistics and transportation
From industry
From hospitality
From the medical-social

In 6th place: Montpellier

300 days of sunshine a year, 50% of the population under the age of thirty, an internationally recognized pôle d'excellence numérique ... Montpellier has more than one asset to seduce any newcomer. Its dynamism and proximity to the Mediterranean make it a kind of French "Silicone Valley".

In addition to digital, the Montpellier metropolis also stands out in the area of research and innovation. There are numerous incubators, such as Cap Omega or Cap Alpha. In addition, international companies, such as Dell, have chosen Montpellier to expand in the South of France.

Move to Montpellier, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

Computer science
Accounting
Engineering
Business

In 7th place: Lyon

A 2-hour TGV ride from Paris, the ville des Lumières also offers proximity to ski resorts and easy access to Marseille in 1h40. A quality of life complemented by a real dynamism on the banks of the Rhône and Saône rivers. This array of attractions puts Lyon on the podium of places offeringthe most professional opportunities. Witness the boom in the Confluence district and the embellishment of Lyon's architectural heritage.

Go to Lyon, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

From the pharmaceutical industry
Telecommunications
Computer activities

In 8th place: Toulouse

With a population that continues to grow every year, 3 major university centers and multiple schools, particularly in the image field, Toulouse comes in at the very top of the list of cities where it's good to live and study. Historically linked to the field of aviation, Toulouse also stands out for its specific know-how in the fields of chemistry, IT, finance, tourism... Offering aexceptional living environment, between sea and mountains, the pink city is certainly a metropolis that counts in southwestern France.

Go to Toulouse, especially if you're or want to become a professional:

Tourism
Transportation
Trade and distribution
From the social and solidarity economy

In 9th place: Tours

A newcomer to the rankings, Tours' quality of life has nonetheless been making waves for a long time. The reasons are simple: thanks to the TGV, Paris, Bordeaux and Nantes are only one or two hours away. Thanks to telecommuting, Touraine residents can stay at home and work, while commuting to and from these major highways in less than a day.

Ville d'art et d'histoire, notably thanks to its many Châteaux, Tours offers a real quality of life, deserving of UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Acknowledged university town, the city nicknamed "Little Paris" brings together 3,400 companies from the French Valley, generating more than 20,000 jobs, particularly in the digital and innovation field.

Go to Tours, especially if you are or want to become a professional:

Scientific or technical
From information and communication
From Construction

In 10th place: Brest

Thanks to the presence of numerous subsidiary headquarters in the banking, trade or tourism sectors, Brest benefits from continuous development in the tertiary sector. Since then, numerous training courses have been created in the Cité du Ponant, attracting a large number of students from top schools, drawn by its quality of life and sea air.

With this dynamism also generating a great demand for new skills, Brest has become the rising star of the West, combining a rich cultural life with modern infrastructure.

Go to Brest, especially if you are or want to become a professional: